Sword and Staff: A Celebration of Xenite Generosity

[1] Does Xena fandom really
need an organization like Sword and Staff? It is not
like we cannot make charitable contributions on our
own. So, why does it exist? What is it doing, and where
did it come from?

[2] As Xena fans, most of us
have had that moment of slight hesitation before
admitting that yes, our favorite TV show involves women
in skimpy leather costumes fighting computer-generated
menaces or indulging in bathroom humor. The outside
world just does not understand that this does
not define the show, nor does the cleavage
of the leads, the sexual orientation of some of the
fans, or our most defining characteristic: living as
Amazons. According to one New York City charity (an
organization that benefits babies with AIDS) that is
who makes up the audience for Xena: Warrior
Princess. In addition, that charitable
organization did not want to have anything to do with
"a bunch of Amazons".

[3] In the spring of 1997, the very first
New York XenaFest was a rousing success, and it netted
the organizers a cool $4500 for charity. Debbie
Cassetta, one of the organizers of the NYCXF, contacted
the charity, offering the funds to their worthy cause.
They declined.

[5] The representative dismissed her with a
quick, "No, you don't understand. We don't
want your money. We don't want to be associated with a
bunch of Amazons".

[6] One would guess from that response that
they were doing so well they did not need the
contribution. Yet a mere two days after Cassetta's
offer, the director of that same charitable
organization appeared on the Rosie O'Donnell Show,
soliciting money and talking about how desperate they
were for donations. What she forgot to mention was that
they were not quite desperate enough to take $4500 from
those weirdo Xena fans.

[7] It appeared that the reputation of XWP
fans was so bad we could not give money
away. Cassetta felt that something needed to be done,
and quickly. "As fans watching a cult show, we were
viewed in a very negative way, and it seemed pretty
obvious that we needed better PR," she explained in a
telephone interview. "The world was looking at us as if
we were a bunch of crazies". Rather than whine and
complain, Cassetta acted. She founded an organization
that was designed to be not only a conduit for
charitable donations by Xena fans, but
also a means for them to feel good about themselves. It
also let the world at large know who they were and what
they were capable of doing. Charity in the name of XWP
and its stars now had a name: Sword and Staff.

[8] The first auction was held online and
consisted of some of the merchandise Cassetta had
collected for herself. It was so successful that she
immediately sold the rest of her private collection in
a second auction.

[9] Obviously, this was not going to sustain
the organization, so she needed a new method of getting
auction material. She posted a message on a private
Xena mailing list saying that she needed
some help in the form of donations of Xena memorabilia.
The response was overwhelming, and it was not long
before donations began pouring in from all corners of
the Xenaverse.

[10] One of the hallmarks of Xena fandom is
generosity. Those who donate through Sword and Staff
are not just the people who write out checks after
successfully bidding. There are all sorts of fans who
keep Sword and Staff stocked with merchandise by
donating pieces from their own collections, making
purchases with donation in mind, or contributing the
results of their own labors. In addition, cast members
and Xena production crews have been very generous when
it comes to donating items or providing autographs for
Sword and Staff auctions or for fan fest auctions. For
years, Cassetta had a room in her apartment that her
friends dubbed "the Xena Room". Visitors would ask to
see it and then stand mouth agape at the accumulated
treasures.

[11] "The generosity of Xena fans is mind
boggling," Cassetta said with pride in her voice. "Many
times, they'll send more money than their bid, or
they'll pay for the item then re-donate it for a future
auction. Some will even lose the bid, but send a
donation anyway".

Sword and Staff support a lot of good causes -- like saving the Rain Forest!

[12] It is a misconception that Sword and
Staff is a charity. It is not. It is a funnel through
which donations can be dispersed. It is a fund-raiser,
holding auctions, running a small online marketplace,
etc. It is a face for fan generosity, as donations are
tallied, whether they go directly through Sword and
Staff or not, as long as Cassetta is made aware of the
contribution. Sword and Staff represents fan
generosity. Think of it as our proof that we are
not a bunch of crazies and that we are
caring people, just like the rest of the
non-Xena-watching crowd. It is a way to
indulge our XWP collecting and make a difference.

[13] No monetary donations are made to Sword
and Staff. Checks are written out to the charities it
supports. The only things that should go directly to
Sword and Staff are the postage stamps necessary to
mail the item to the bidder. If those stamps aren't
included, the cost of postage is paid by Cassetta, or
perhaps by an extra stamp some other fan sent along
"just in case".

[14] So how are the various charities
chosen? "If there's a particular cause that a cast
member supports, every effort will be made to support
that organization," said Cassetta. "Lucy's support of
the Starship Foundation comes immediately to mind.
Other times, fans will also ask to have a specific
charity supported by a particular auction, and in most
instances, those requests are accommodated. But
generally, I choose the majority of the charities that
we support. They usually meet criteria that were set
out for me when I first started Sword and Staff. I was
told that both Lucy and Renee would prefer not to name
specific charities, but was told that the actresses
supported organizations that deal with children, women,
and AIDS victims. Our efforts were (and are) geared
toward those charities. Later, environmental causes,
like the saving the rainforest and marine conservation,
were added when it became evident that these causes
were also supported by several individual
Xena cast members".

[16] "$2,000 for a black and white
promotional still of Renee O'Connor," Cassetta said,
still awed by the amount. "I spent a couple of hours on
the phone over this one. I was concerned that the two
people bidding against each other were just caught up
in the heat of the auction. I wanted to give the high
bidder a chance to back off that bid. When I was
comfortable that the bidder wanted the item and at that
price because of the donation aspect, I backed off and
said fine. I've pretty much concluded that I'll never
get a job at Sotheby's. I keep trying to talk the
bidders out of buying".

[17] What was the oddest item auctioned?

[18] "ME!" said a laughing Cassetta. "This
happened at one of our NYC XenaFests. Our auctioneer
was holding up an item and asked if anyone wanted to
make an opening bid. Someone stood up and said that
they didn't want the item, but they'd bid $500 on me. I
thought that was a joke, and it probably was. When the
bidding hit $1000, the auctioneer (a good friend of
mine) called off the bidding because, as she said, 'I
can't chaperone this date, and I'm not sure what you
want for that money.' I still don't have a clue what I
could do that would be worth $1,000".

[19] What have been the most successful
auctions?

[20] "Xena fan fiction
auctions. We've done several, and Xena fan fiction
auctions have raised in excess of $30,000 for
charities. The bards are always extremely generous, and
the fans are always delighted to participate. We also
did a Xena art auction, and that did very
well, too. Both did far better than the official
merchandise auctions that we run regularly".

[21] What is the most rewarding aspect of
running Sword and Staff?

[22] "Knowing that the charities we support
have done a lot of good as a result of our donations,
and also knowing that the majority of the fan base is
behind what Sword and Staff does". [Note: Sword and
Staff has raised over $175,000 so far!]

[23] "Also, I get to meet an incredible
assortment of people," Cassetta continued. "That has
truly enriched my life. Xena fans are such an amazing
bunch. They'll give the shirts off their backs -- and
have! Whenever I've asked for help with Sword and
Staff, they're right there. This is truly their
organization, and they've taken ownership. That's an
incredible feat in a fan base that is so fragmented.
Sword and Staff provides a common ground for those fans
who want one".

[24] What is the most disheartening aspect
of running Sword and Staff?

[25] "Knowing that there is a small but
vocal element in fandom that is eager to knock Sword
and Staff and what it does, and that they continue to
question my motives for doing this. That gets very old,
very quickly. There was a great statement Jerry Lewis
used years ago when his association with the Muscular
Dystrophy Association was questioned. He said, 'For
those who understand, no explanation is necessary. For
those who don't, no explanation will suffice.' I think
he hit the nail on the head".

[26] What do you consider the most fun
aspect of running Sword and Staff?

[27] "Doing live auctions or traveling to
XenaFests and other fan events in other parts of the
country or the world. I have a terrific time whenever I
visit Canada, where there is a dearth of
Xena material. I always go up there with
boxes of merchandise to 'sell' at their fests. I sell
the items in Canadian dollars so that it is not
prohibitive for the fans up there. [Note: the exchange
rate with the US dollar makes most XWP merchandise
untouchable for many Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies, and
some Europeans.] All the proceeds are then donated to
the charity being sponsored by the local fest
committee, so the donation stays in the country that
actually donated the money. I also had the opportunity
to attend a 'By The Gods' meet in London. That was
terrific. I had a great time and I was treated so well
by the gang at Page's Bar that I count it among my most
pleasant memories of London".

Many people have donated fabulous things to S&S. On the acknowledgements page is this cool artwork by Miguel Cura.

[28] Having just seen the women's soccer
team play at the Olympics, I had to ask Cassetta about
her goals for Sword and Staff.

[29] "I would like to continue, at least
until the show runs it course. And I would love to
reach the $250,000 mark before that happens. That's a
long shot, but it is possible. What a testament to this
fan base that would be, eh?"